The National Court has ratified the status of investigated of Jéssica Rodríguez, ex-partner of the former Minister of Transport José Luis Ábalos, in the 'Koldo case', considering the decision of the investigating judge, Ismael Moreno, to formally include her in the case as "appropriate".
The Criminal Chamber has dismissed the appeal presented by Rodríguez against her indictment, according to an order accessed by Europa Press, within the proceedings regarding her hiring in several public companies, where she acknowledged that she received payment without performing effective functions.
Rodríguez argued in her appeal that the facts for which she is being investigated had already been judged, referring to the trial of the 'mask case' for which the Supreme Court sentenced Ábalos to 24 years in prison and in which her hiring was also analyzed, when she was called as a witness, in the public companies Ineco and Tragsatec.
The Criminal Chamber emphasizes that Rodríguez's participation in the events "is already perfectly delineated in the Supreme Court ruling".
Furthermore, the court recalls that the Public Prosecutor's Office requested her indictment "solely and exclusively in light of the facts already proven that are stated in the ruling".
Judge Moreno had already rejected in July a first appeal from Rodríguez against her summons as an investigated person, which he also opposed. At that time, the magistrate specified that in the Supreme Court ruling "no criminal responsibility" regarding Rodríguez was resolved and that "res judicata" was not generated, so he maintained the summons, to which she opted to exercise her right not to testify.
In this new ruling, the magistrates of the Chamber conclude that the instructor's decision to call her to testify as an investigated person "is appropriate and should be confirmed".
The Prosecutor's Office argued that Ábalos's ex-partner "not only did not perform any work in the companies that hired her, but the foundational purpose of the criminal plan was, precisely, that she would not work and, despite this, receive a monthly salary".